Footwear apparatus having simulated deer hoof bottoms

ABSTRACT

A footwear apparatus has simulated animal hoof bottoms. More specifically, the footwear apparatus includes a footwear top portion, a footwear sole portion connected to the footwear top portion, and a footwear bottom portion connected to the footwear sole portion. The footwear bottom portion includes a simulated deer front foot portion and a simulated deer rear foot portion which are connected to the footwear sole portion and project downward therefrom. The footwear top portion includes straps. The footwear sole portion can include a stiff flexible inner member layer housed between outer flexible layers. Together, the pair of simulated front deer foot portions and the pair of simulated rear deer foot portions comprise simulated deer hoofs. Preferably, a bottom side of each of the pair of simulated front deer foot portions projects forward from the footwear sole portion at a bottom side forward projection angle of approximately twenty-two and one-half degrees.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority based upon my copending ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 61/123,145; filed Apr. 7, 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to footwear, and, moreparticularly, to footwear especially adapted for impressing simulatedanimal tracks into the ground when worn by a person.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Footwear that is especially adapted for impressing simulated animaltracks into the ground when worn by a person is well known in the art.In this respect, throughout the years, a number of innovations have beendeveloped relating to such animal track footwear, and the following U.S.patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos.3,402,485, 4,769,931, 6,018,889, and 6,398,126.

More specifically, each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,402,485, 4,769,931,6,018,889, and 6,398,126 provides animal track footwear wherein theanimal track members extend downwardly, perpendicular to the bottom ofthe sole of the footwear. In this respect, when walking through thewoods wearing one of the above-cited animal track footwear, the wearersteps down on top of leaves that are lying on the soil. Stepping down onleaves makes noise, and that noise alerts animals to presence of thenearby person. To avoid making such noise from stepping on leaves, itwould be desirable if a wearer could walk through the woods with one'sfootwear permitting the wearer to lift leaves off of the ground as thewearer walks through the woods before stepping down on the soil.

In addition, it would be desirable if a wearer could easily strap on andremove such novel footwear without removing one's conventional footwear.

Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be wellknown to use footwear that impresses animal tracks on the ground, theprior art described above does not teach or suggest a footwear apparatushaving simulated deer hoof bottoms which has the following combinationof desirable features: (1) permits a wearer to walk through the woodswhile permitting the wearer' feet to lift leaves off of the ground asthe wearer walks through the woods before stepping down on the soil; and(2) permits a wearer to easily strap on and remove such novel footwearwithout removing one's conventional footwear. The foregoing desiredcharacteristics are provided by the unique footwear apparatus havingsimulated deer hoof bottoms of the present invention as will be madeapparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of thepresent invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention,briefly described, provides a footwear apparatus which has simulatedanimal hoof bottoms. More specifically, the footwear apparatus includesa footwear top portion, a footwear sole portion connected to thefootwear top portion, and a footwear bottom portion connected to thefootwear sole portion. The footwear bottom portion includes a simulatedanimal front foot portion and a simulated animal rear foot portion. Thesimulated animal front foot portion and the simulated animal rear footportion are connected to the footwear sole portion and project downwardtherefrom. Normally, a wearer wears a set of footwear apparatuses of theinvention, one on right foot and another on the left foot.

The footwear top portion includes straps. The footwear sole portion caninclude a stiff flexible inner member layer housed between outerflexible layers. The footwear sole portion can further include an uppersole cushion layer attached to a top outer flexible layer.

Preferably, the simulated animal front foot portion simulates a deerfront foot portion, and the simulated animal rear foot portion simulatesa deer rear foot portion.

Preferably, the simulated animal front foot portion includes a pair ofsimulated front foot portions. More preferably, the pair of simulatedfront foot portions includes a pair of simulated front deer footportions.

Preferably, the simulated animal rear foot portion includes a pair ofsimulated rear foot portions. More preferably, the pair of simulatedrear foot portions includes a pair of simulated rear deer foot portions.Together, the pair of simulated front deer foot portions and the pair ofsimulated rear deer foot portions comprise simulated deer hoofs.

Preferably, a bottom side of each of the pair of simulated front deerfoot portions projects forward from the footwear sole portion at abottom side forward projection angle. The bottom side forward projectionangle is in a range of from fifteen to thirty degrees. Preferably, thebottom side forward projection angle is approximately twenty-two andone-half degrees.

Preferably, a top side of each of the pair of simulated front deer footportions projects forward from the footwear sole portion at a top sideforward projection angle. The top side forward projection angle is in arange of from thirty to forty degrees. Preferably, the top side forwardprojection angle is approximately thirty-five degrees.

In addition, the pair of simulated rear deer foot portions projectdownward from the footwear sole portion at approximately ninety degrees.

In addition, preferably, each of the pair of simulated front deer footportions includes a base region which has a base region width andincludes an end region which has an end region width. The base regionwidth is greater than the end region width, such that the pair ofsimulated front deer foot portions taper from the base region to the endregion.

The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more importantfeatures of the present invention in order that the detailed descriptionthereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are,of course, additional features of the invention that will be describedhereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claimsappended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining a preferred embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limitedin its application to the details of the construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purpose of description and should not beregarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception,upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis fordesigning other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out theseveral purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore,that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructionsinsofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved footwear apparatus having simulated deer hoof bottoms which hasall of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved footwear apparatus having simulated deer hoof bottoms which maybe easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved footwear apparatus having simulated deer hoof bottoms which isof durable and reliable construction.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved footwear apparatus having simulated deer hoof bottoms which issusceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materialsand labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices ofsale to the consuming public, thereby making such footwear apparatushaving simulated deer hoof bottoms available to the buying public.

Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a newand improved footwear apparatus having simulated deer hoof bottoms whichpermits a wearer to walk through the woods while permitting the wearer'feet to lift leaves off of the ground as the wearer walks through thewoods before stepping down on the soil, thereby reducing noise made bystepping on leaves.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved footwear apparatus having simulated deer hoof bottoms thatpermits a wearer to easily strap on and remove such novel footwearwithout removing one's conventional footwear.

These together with still other objects of the invention, along with thevarious features of novelty which characterize the invention, arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and the above objects as well asobjects other than those set forth above will become more apparent aftera study of the following detailed description thereof. Such descriptionmakes reference to the annexed drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a preferred embodiment of the invention ofthe footwear apparatus having simulated deer hoof bottoms, wherein thefootwear apparatus is in the form of a sandal.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment of the footwear apparatus shownin FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the embodiment of the footwear apparatusshown in FIG. 1 taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the footwearapparatus of FIG. 2 taken along line 4-4 thereof.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the invention shown inFIGS. 1-4, wherein the footwear apparatus is about to be pressed into aportion of soil to leave simulated deer hoof prints in the soil.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings, a new and improved footwear apparatushaving simulated deer hoof bottoms embodying the principles and conceptsof the present invention will be described.

However, before describing a preferred embodiment of the invention,background facts leading to the invention are of interest.

The inventor of the present inventor has been an avid deer hunter sincehe was a child. Through the years, the inventor has studied animalbehavior both in the field and through reading books on the whitetaildeer. One of the most interesting things that the inventor noticed aboutdeer was their ability to slip through the woods without making a lot ofnoise. One day while the inventor was deer hunting from a tree stand aBlack Angus bull came walking through the woods. The inventor could seethe bull coming from a long way off, but he could barely hear himwalking. The inventor pondered this phenomenon and asked himself thisquestion: how can a bull weighing 800 lbs or more walk through the woodsand make less noise than a man? Then, with a flash of insight, theinventor suspected that this had something to do with animals that hadhoofs.

Then, the inventor made a closer study of deer behavior. The inventorstudied how deer walked and observed that instead of walking on theleaves, they slipped their hoofs under the leaves and stepped on thesoft ground. The inventor deduced that this explained why a person couldhear a buck walking towards one and, if the buck detected one's scent inthe wind, or picked up one's scent on the trail, the person could nothear the buck slip away.

Then, the inventor closely studied deer hoofs and concluded that thenatural shape and angle of their hoofs allowed them to quietly movethrough the woods without making a sound. After having arrived at thisconclusion, the inventor conceived of the present invention in whichauxiliary footwear are strapped onto conventional footwear to permit awearer to lift leaves off of the ground as the wearer walks through thewoods before stepping down on the soil, thereby making less noise thanconventional footwear as the wearer walks through the woods.

In view of the above, a footwear apparatus 10 of the invention hassimulated animal hoof bottoms.

Turning to FIGS. 1-5, there is shown a preferred embodiment of thefootwear apparatus having simulated deer hoof bottoms of the inventiongenerally designated by reference numeral 10. In each of the figures,reference numerals are shown that correspond to like reference numeralsthat designate like elements shown in other figures.

In the preferred embodiment, footwear apparatus having simulated deerhoof bottoms 10 includes a footwear top portion 12, a footwear soleportion 14 connected to the footwear top portion 12, and a footwearbottom portion 16 connected to the footwear sole portion 14. Thefootwear bottom portion 16 includes a simulated animal front footportion and a simulated animal rear foot portion. The simulated animalfront foot portion and the simulated animal rear foot portion areconnected to the footwear sole portion 14 and project downwardtherefrom.

The footwear top portion 12 includes straps 30. The straps 30 are usedfor connecting the footwear apparatus 10 of the invention to a wearer'sfoot on which conventional footwear, such as boot 11, is worn.

The footwear sole portion 14 can include a stiff flexible inner memberlayer 32 housed between outer flexible layers 34. The footwear soleportion 14 can further include an upper sole cushion layer 36 attachedto a top outer flexible layer 34.

Preferably, the simulated animal front foot portion simulates a deerfront foot portion, and the simulated animal rear foot portion simulatesa deer rear foot portion.

Preferably, the simulated animal front foot portion includes a pair ofsimulated front foot portions. More preferably, the pair of simulatedfront foot portions includes a pair of simulated front deer footportions 18.

Preferably, the simulated animal rear foot portion includes a pair ofsimulated rear foot portions. More preferably, the pair of simulatedrear foot portions includes a pair of simulated rear deer foot portions20. Together, the pair of simulated front deer foot portions 18 and thepair of simulated rear deer foot portions 20 comprise simulated deerhoofs.

Preferably, a bottom side of each of the pair of simulated front deerfoot portions 18 projects forward from the footwear sole portion 14 at abottom side forward projection angle 22. The bottom side forwardprojection angle 22 is in a range of from fifteen to thirty degrees.Preferably, the bottom side forward projection angle 22 is approximatelytwenty-two and one-half degrees.

Preferably, a top side of each of the pair of simulated front deer footportions 18 projects forward from the footwear sole portion 14 at a topside forward projection angle 24. The top side forward projection angle24 is in a range of from thirty to forty degrees. Preferably, the topside forward projection angle 24 is approximately thirty-five degrees.

In addition, the pair of simulated rear deer foot portions 20 projectdownward from the footwear sole portion 14 at approximately ninetydegrees.

In addition, preferably, each of the pair of simulated front deer footportions 18 includes a base region which has a base region width 26 andincludes an end region which has an end region width 28. The base regionwidth 26 is greater than the end region width 28, such that the pair ofsimulated front deer foot portions 18 taper from the base region to theend region.

To use the footwear apparatus 10 has simulated deer hoof bottoms of theinvention, the straps 30 are used to attach the footwear top portion 12to a wearer's foot has a conventional boot 11 worn on the foot, as shownin FIG. 5. The straps 30 can includes fasteners, such as Velcro orbuckles to assure a tight fit of the footwear apparatus 10 on theboot-wearing foot of the wearer.

Once the footwear apparatus 10 is attached to the wearer's foot, withouthas the full weight of the wearer on the pair of simulated front deerfoot portions 18, the wearer can use the end portion of the pair ofsimulated front deer foot portions 18, as shown in FIG. 5, to slideunder leaves 13 and expose bare ground 15, so that when the wearerplaces one's full weight on both the pair of simulated front deer footportions 18 and the pair of simulated rear deer foot portions 20 on thebare ground 15, the pair of simulated front deer foot portions 18 andthe pair of simulated rear deer foot portions 20 do not make a crunchingsound on the leaves 13. In this way, deer are not alerted to thepresence of wearer walking in the woods where the deer habitat.

To make one set of hoofs of the invention, a set of hoofs was carved outof wood. Then, a plaster of Paris mold was made of the wood hoofs. Then,fiberglass was poured into the mold, and set a large washer with nut andbolt was placed therein so finished fiberglass hoofs could be boltedonto a shoe sole. The fiberglass hoofs were then sanded and shaped toclosely resemble a real deer hoof. However, the fiberglass hoofs werenot easy to walk with. With another method of fabrication of theauxiliary footwear of the invention, the auxiliary footwear was made outof wood. This auxiliary footwear was easy to walk with, but caused thewearers feet to ache after only 30 minutes of walking.

With another method of fabrication of the auxiliary footwear of theinvention. A hard rubber sole from an old pair of boots were taken, anda flexible steel band was inserted in them for added support. The hardersole worked fine. It is contemplated by the inventor that the auxiliaryfootwear could be improved by using an even harder rubber or maybe apolymer sole.

In general, the sole should have some flexibility, and back strap thatgoes around the wearer's heel has to be loose or elastic to allow thewearer to dig in when climbing steep embankments. Actual wearers havewalked around for hours in this embodiment of the invention throughpouring down rain, through snow, up steep hills, and down muddy banks,and the traction is remarkable. All four hoof portions on one foot digin going down hills, and the front two hoof portions dig in going uphill.

The inventor has walked across hard surface roads and actually ran downan asphalt road, and it was easy to maintain balance with a back pack onand a gun in his hands while running.

The first time the inventor's brother tried the auxiliary footwear ofthe invention on, he was able to actually run up and down hills afterjust a few minutes of test walking. He was surprised at how stable hefelt going down a muddy bank and how quiet he was able to walk throughdry leaves. The inventor walked beside him in conventional boots whilethe inventor's brother wore the auxiliary footwear of the invention tosee what the difference in noise level was. In this respect, there was amarked difference that will surprise any wearer once the wearer learnshow to slide one's foot forward and under the leaves. In this respect,the wearer will understand how a deer can slip through the woods soquietly.

In addition, several members of the inventor's family includes his youngnephews have put them the auxiliary footwear of the invention on, andthey were surprised how quickly they adjusted to walking in them and howquiet they were walking in the leaves.

In addition, the inventor has observed that with hunters wearingconventional footwear, deer get up and walk away from an approachinghunter. In addition, the inventor has watched bucks walk behind hunterswhile feeding. Most hunters walk to their stands without realizing thatthey are pushing the deer away from their area. Then, they wait forhours before they see anything.

In sharp contrast, the inventor, wearing auxiliary footwear of theinvention, moves through the woods like a deer by walking quietlysometimes, by running sometimes, and by pawing the ground as if feedingon acorns sometimes. In this respect, the inventor has been able to walkup on deer close enough to shoot. A lot of times the deer are juststanding there looking and trying to figure out what I am. The inventorhas walked to his stand, slipped out of the auxiliary footwear of theinvention and had deer come by him while he was still climbing the treeso he knows that he had moved into the area without disturbing the deer.Clearly, the auxiliary footwear of the invention really work well in notalerting deer to the presence of a hunter. The auxiliary footwear of theinvention can be designated HOOFERS™.

The components of the footwear apparatus having simulated deer hoofbottoms of the invention can be made from inexpensive and durable metal,plastic, fiberglass, and rubber materials.

As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, thesame is apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly, no furtherdiscussion relative to the manner of usage and operation need beprovided.

It is apparent from the above that the present invention accomplishesall of the objects set forth by providing a new and improved footwearapparatus having simulated deer hoof bottoms that is low in cost,relatively simple in design and operation, and which may advantageouslybe used to permit a wearer to walk through the woods while permittingthe wearer' feet to lift leaves off of the ground as the wearer walksthrough the woods before stepping down on the soil, thereby reducingnoise made by stepping on leaves. With the invention, a wearer caneasily strap on and remove the subject footwear without removing one'sconventional footwear.

Thus, while the present invention has been shown in the drawings andfully described above with particularity and detail in connection withwhat is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferredembodiment(s) of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art that many modifications thereof may be made withoutdeparting from the principles and concepts set forth herein, including,but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, functionand manner of operation, assembly and use.

Hence, the proper scope of the present invention should be determinedonly by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as toencompass all such modifications as well as all relationships equivalentto those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification.

Finally, it will be appreciated that the purpose of the annexed Abstractis to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the publicgenerally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners inthe art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology,to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence ofthe technical disclosure of the application. Accordingly, the Abstractis neither intended to define the invention or the application, whichonly is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as tothe scope of the invention in any way.

1. A footwear apparatus having simulated animal hoof bottoms,comprising: a footwear top portion, a footwear sole portion connected tosaid footwear top portion, and a footwear bottom portion which includesa simulated animal front foot portion and a simulated animal rear footportion, wherein said simulated animal front foot portion and saidsimulated animal rear foot portion are connected to said footwear soleportion and project downward therefrom, and wherein a bottom side ofsaid simulated animal front foot portion projects forward from saidfootwear sole portion at a bottom side forward projection angle.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein said bottom side forward projection angleis in a range of from fifteen to thirty degrees.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 2 wherein said bottom side forward projection angle isapproximately twenty-two and one-half degrees.
 4. The apparatus of claim1 wherein a top side of said simulated animal front foot portionprojects forward from said footwear sole portion at a top side forwardprojection angle.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said top sideforward projection angle is in a range of from thirty to forty degrees.6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said top side forward projectionangle is approximately thirty-five degrees.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1wherein said simulated animal front foot portion includes a pair ofsimulated front foot portions.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein saidpair of simulated front foot portions includes a pair of simulated frontdeer foot portions.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each of saidpair of simulated front deer foot portions includes a base region havinga base region width and includes an end region having an end regionwidth, wherein said base region width is greater than said end regionwidth, such that said pair of simulated front deer foot portions taperfrom said base region to said end region.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1wherein said simulated animal rear foot portion includes a pair ofsimulated rear foot portions.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein saidpair of simulated rear foot portions includes a pair of simulated reardeer foot portions.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said pair ofsimulated rear deer foot portions project from said footwear soleportion at approximately ninety degrees.